Biology Department

About Us

Who we are...

The students and faculty of the Biology Department are a community of learners who use inquiry-based methods to investigate the breadth of Biology, its connection to other disciplines, and its relevance to individuals and society.

As a community of learners, students and faculty work collaboratively to expand their understanding of biology.

Towards that end:

faculty members maintain research programs that mentor students;

faculty members and students collaboratively explore current scholarship in Biology;

faculty members and students communicate their scholarship with their peers and the public.

Further, students will:

engage in inquiry-based methods to investigate biological systems. The results of this are to be seen as students:

analyze, evaluate, and apply information from the Biological literature;

develop a diverse collection of investigative skills that they will use to study biological systems;

communicate their conclusions effectively both orally and in writing;

investigate the breadth of Biology, recognizing that Biology is a diverse discipline unified by fundamental themes:

how the process of evolution underlies both the diversity and unity of life;

how biological systems use energy and materials;

how living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information;

how interactions within biological systems can produce complex, novel properties;

how structure relates to function in biological systems.

investigate Biology's connection to other disciplines. Students will recognize that a comprehensive understanding of biological systems requires the application of knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines.

study the relevance to individuals and society of Biology. Students will recognize the linkages between the discipline of Biology and human social systems.

The Biology Major:

Students begin the major with the Introductory Biology sequence (BIOL 121, 221 and 222). This set of courses builds a fundamental understanding of all areas of Biology, from cellular and molecular to organismal to ecological and evolutionary.

Upon completing the Introductory sequence, students take five additional courses in any of the four fundamental areas of biology: organismal diversity, ecology/evolution, structural/functional biology and cell/molecular biology.

Supporting courses in chemistry and mathematics are also required. Additional courses in physics and advanced chemistry are recommended but not required.

A more complete description of the Biology curriculum and course options can be found by following the Curriculum link to the left.